Computer-implemented method and system for a time-controlled delivery of updatable services to on-board systems of vehicles which use the services

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for a time-controlled delivery of updatable services to on-board systems of vehicles which use the services. The method includes analyzing the detected data to identify delivery time periods for the updatable services being optimal for each vehicle which uses the services, wherein the network usage of the backend server is optimally allotted to the specified time period on the basis of the availability of the data connection of the vehicles using the services to the backend server. A system for a time-controlled delivery of updatable services to on-board systems of vehicles that use the services is also disclosed.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for time-controlled delivery of updatable services to an on-board system of service-utilizing vehicles, the method comprising:
 receiving data pertaining to a network loading of a backend server carrying out a delivery of services and to an availability of a data connection of service-utilizing vehicles to the backend server over a predetermined length of time;   evaluating the data to identify an optimal delivery period of the updatable services for each service-utilizing vehicle, in which the network loading of the backend server is distributed within the predetermined length of time as a function of the availability of the data connection of the service-utilizing vehicles to the backend server;   delivering the updatable services by the backend server to the on-board system of the service-utilizing vehicles in the optimal delivery period identified for each service-utilizing vehicle;   sending, by the on-board system of the service-utilizing vehicles, service-update requests to the backend server at regular intervals, wherein the service-update requests comprise data relating to a requested geographical region, a current version of the geographical region, and data relating to a service-usage behavior of a vehicle user;   in response to the service-update request of the on-board system of the service-utilizing vehicle, at least one of:
 initiating, by the backend server, the delivery of the updatable service; 
 sending to the on-board system of the service-utilizing vehicle a message relating to a time-shifted delivery of the updatable service; or 
 sending a prompt for a renewed service-update request, wherein the renewed service-update request falls within a period in which an expected lower network loading and an expected availability of the data connection of the service-utilizing vehicle coincide; 
   and   executing, by at least one on-board system of at least one service-utilizing vehicle, the updatable service delivered by the backend server.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 delivering, during a first period of above-average network loading, the updatable services to vehicles that are being moved exclusively in the first period; and   delivering, during a second period of below-average network loading, the updatable services to vehicles that are not being moved exclusively in the first period.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 2 , wherein the first period is during a peak traffic time, and wherein the second period is during an off-peak traffic time. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 delivering the updatable services to a particular service-utilizing vehicle as a function of a regular route profile of the particular service-utilizing vehicle, wherein a type of the delivered data is adapted to the regular route profile.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 4 , wherein the updatable services comprise traffic information, navigation-map updates and/or parking-lot information, wherein the updatable service is delivered for all of a plurality of geographical updating regions in response to the regular route profile including the plurality of geographical updating regions. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 delivering the updatable services as a function of the service-usage behavior of the vehicle user, wherein a prioritized delivery of the updatable service is carried out in response to a frequency of usage of a service exceeding a predetermined threshold value.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 continuously acquiring the network loading of the backend server and the availability of the data connection from the service-utilizing vehicles to the backend server.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 evaluating the data to identify the optimal delivery period by a machine-learning algorithm or by a stochastic model, wherein a foreseeable network loading is learned or ascertained by the machine-learning algorithm or by the stochastic model on a basis of historical data.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 obtaining the availability of the data connection of the service-utilizing vehicles to the backend server in a course of an operation of the service-utilizing vehicles and/or in an activated state of the on-board system of the service-utilizing vehicles.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 recording the availability of the data connection of the service-utilizing vehicles to the backend server by the on-board system, and communicating the availability to the backend server.   
     
     
         11 . A system for time-controlled delivery of updatable services to an on-board system of service-utilizing vehicles, comprising:
 a plurality of service-utilizing vehicles comprising an on-board system configured to establish a data connection to a backend server to receive the updatable services; and   the backend server configured to:
 deliver the updatable services to the on-board system of the service-utilizing vehicles; 
 receive data pertaining to a network loading and to an availability of a data connection of the service-utilizing vehicles over a predetermined length of time; 
 evaluate the acquired data to identify an optimal delivery period of the updatable services for each service-utilizing vehicle, in which the network loading of the backend server is distributed within the predetermined length of time as a function of the availability of the data connection of the service-utilizing vehicles to the backend server; and 
 deliver the updatable services to the on-board system of the service-utilizing vehicles in the optimal delivery period identified for each service-utilizing vehicle, 
   wherein the on-board system is configured to send service-update requests to the backend server at regular intervals, wherein the service-update requests comprise data relating to a requested geographical region, a current version of the geographical region, and data relating to a service-usage behavior of a vehicle user,   wherein the backend server is configured to, in response to the service-update request, send to the on-board system a message relating to a time-shifted delivery of the updatable service, and   wherein the on-board system is configured to execute the updatable service delivered by the backend server.   
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the backend server is configured to:
 deliver, during a first period of above-average network loading, the updatable services to vehicles that are being moved exclusively in the first period; and   deliver, during a second period of below-average network loading, the updatable services to vehicles that are not being moved exclusively in the first period.   
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the backend server is configured to:
 deliver the updatable services to a particular service-utilizing vehicle as a function of a regular route profile of the particular service-utilizing vehicle, wherein a type of the delivered data is adapted to the regular route profile.   
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the backend server is configured to:
 continuously acquire the network loading of the backend server and the availability of the data connection from the service-utilizing vehicles to the backend server.   
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the backend server is configured to:
 evaluate the data to identify the optimal delivery period by a machine-learning algorithm or by a stochastic model, wherein a foreseeable network loading is learned or ascertained by the machine-learning algorithm or by the stochastic model on a basis of historical data.   
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the on-board system is configured to:
 obtain the availability of the data connection of the service-utilizing vehicles to the backend server in a course of an operation of the service-utilizing vehicles and/or in an activated state of the on-board system of the service-utilizing vehicles.   
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein the on-board system is configured to:
 record the availability of the data connection of the service-utilizing vehicles to the backend server, and communicate the availability to the backend server.   
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program that, when executed by at least one computing device, cause the at least one computing device to perform a method comprising:
 receiving data pertaining to a network loading of a backend server carrying out a delivery of services and to an availability of a data connection of service-utilizing vehicles to the backend server over a predetermined length of time;   evaluating the data to identify an optimal delivery period of the updatable services for each service-utilizing vehicle, in which the network loading of the backend server is distributed within the predetermined length of time as a function of the availability of the data connection of the service-utilizing vehicles to the backend server;   delivering the updatable services by the backend server to an on-board system of the service-utilizing vehicles in the optimal delivery period identified for each service-utilizing vehicle;   receiving from the service-utilizing vehicles, service-update requests at regular intervals, wherein the service-update requests comprise data relating to a requested geographical region, a current version of the geographical region, and data relating to a service-usage behavior of a vehicle user; and   in response to the service-update request of one of the service-utilizing vehicles,
 sending a prompt for a renewed service-update request, wherein the renewed service-update request falls within a period in which an expected lower network loading and an expected availability of a data connection of the service-utilizing vehicle coincide, 
   wherein the on-board system is configured to execute the updatable service delivered by the backend server.